Machine for making applicator swabs



June 12, 1951 a. L. BARBER ETAL 2,557,024

MACHINE FOR MAKING APPLICATOR SWABS Filed Dec. 31, 1945 "t: z: I

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 1951 H. L. BARBER ET AL MACHINE FOR MAKING APPLICATOR SWABS Filed Dec.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR! M 36. 3M

J1me 1951 H. L. BARBER ET AL 2,557,024

MACHINE FOR MAKING APPLICATOR SWABS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 31, 1945 a m m m m WU "J Patented June 12, 1 951 MACHINE FOR; MAKING APPLICAT'OR SWABS Hiram L. Barber, Newtown, and George L. Sellars, Milford, Ohio Application December 31, 1945, Serial No. 638,596

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a method and machine for making cotton swab sticks which are adapted to be used as medical applicators. The invention is directed particularly to an improved method of forming the cotton swabs upon the ""ends of the applicator sticks, and to a machine which is effective for performing the method in a rapid and convenient manner.

Briefly, we have discovered that if a swab stick is rotated about its own longitudinal axis and if the free end of a length of cotton is presented to the rotating stick the stick will catch the fibers of the cotton and wind the fibers rapid- 1y about itself. This action will continue so long as cotton is available and so long as the stick rotated. However, we have also discovered that if the cotton, which conveniently may be in sliver or roving form, is withheld against movement at a point spaced from the free end originally presented to the stick and if the stick is restrained against lateral movement while it is rotating, then that portion of the cotton which has been wound about the stick will tear itself from the length of cotton which is being withheld just as though one end of the cotton roving were wound about a Windlass while the other end were tied to a post.

The method has two advantages which are particularly useful in swab stick fabrication. In the first place the break occurs uniformly at a point substantially midway between the stick and the point where the cotton is being withheld. This enables swabs of uniform size and containing uniform amounts of cotton readily to be prepared. Second, the break is not clean and sharp but rather the fibers tend to string out from one another at the tear line and, therefore, both the trailing end of the length of cotton being wound upon the stick and the leading end of the length of cotton from which the wound length was just pulled are of tapering formation. Thus, this feathering at both ends of the length of cotton forming the swab facilitates the formation of e.- swab which is of uniform circularity and properly rounded configuration. Moreover, this feathering facilitates proper commingling'of the fibers in the swab whereby, once the swab is formed.

it cannot readily become unwound or detached from the applicator stick with which it is asso ciated.

The method is practiced most conveniently using wooden applicators which, for example, may be three to six inches long and slightly less than one-eighth of an inch in diameter. Birchwood applicators are very suitable. The cotton is employed in the form of roving or so-called coiler cotton closely resembling cotton that is prepared to be spun into thread. The roving may be very loose and fluffy, approximately threefourths of an inch in diameter without substantial twist and with the fibers generally arranged in a direction longitudinally thereof.

Ordinary wooden applicator sticks usually present a-surface which is sufficiently rough to catch upon the cotton fibers projecting from a free end of the length of roving whereby the initial association of the fibers with the applicator stick is easy to perform. This is particularly true if the endof the roving is feathered as just described. However, it is desirable in many instances to em ploy a stick having a barbed end which not only facilitates the initial pick-up of the cotton but the stick then also physically prevents endwise detachment of the formed swab from the stick. A machine suitable for barbing sticks in a rapid and convenient manner is disclosed in our 00- pending application Serial No. 638,597 now is sued as United States Patent No. 2,492,027. I-Iowever, barbed sticks, though useful, need not necessarily be employed in the practice of this invention.

In its preferred embodiment a machine adapted to the practice of this invention comprises a stick conveyor which delivers applicator sticks to a swab forming station. At this point a cotton feeder is employed which serves the purpose of presenting a free end of a length of cotton to the applicator stick while the applicator stick is being rotated in any suitable manner. The feeder also is constructed to withhold or pinch upon the roving of cotton at a point spaced from the free end. Thus, the rotating stick catches the first free cotton fibers and gradually winds cotton from the roving about itself, but, meanwhile, as the winding continues the roving between the stick and the pinch point is being stretched tighter and tighter and eventually it tears itself apart. This break, as previously indicated, occurs in advance of the pinch point and is a tapering break which provides a feathered end ready for presentation to a next successive rotating stick.

compactness of the swab is facilitated by conducting the operation between yieldable shoes which press gradually upon the coil of cotton wound about the stick whereby the desired final form may be obtained. Following the winding operation the stick having a swab formed thereon is taken from the forming station by the con veyor and at the same time another stick is delivered to the forming station to receive its swab. A machine constructed in this manner is capable of producing swab sticks at a very high rate of production and it has been found to be more suitable, because of its freedom from tendency to clog or jam, than the swab stick machines which have been available in the past.

From the foregoing discussion of the principles upon which the invention is predicated and from the following detailed description of the drawings in which a typical embodiment of the apparatus is disclosed, those skilled in the art readily will comprehend the various modifications to which the invention is susceptible.

In the drawings:

Figure l is an end elevation of the apparatus.

Figure 2 is a sectional, somewhat diagrammatic, view showin the interrelationship of the parts. According to this view a tuft of cotton is being wrapped around a stick and the parts are shown just prior to the time when the Wound cotton severs itself from the length being withheld against movement.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the feeder and forming apparatus showing the relationship of the parts just at the moment that a wound length of cotton has torn itself from the withheld length.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but this view shows the relationship at the moment that a free length of cotton is being presented to a rotating stick.

Figure 5 is an elevation of a barbed applicator stick of the type particularly useful in the practice of this invention.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the manner in which fibers at the free end of a length of cotton are presented to and caught upon a rotating applicator stick.

Figure '7 is a diagrammatic view showing the manner in which the cotton tears itself apart at the end of a winding operation and also shows the feathered formation which is produced by tearing.

Figure 8 is an elevation of a completed swab stick as produced in accordance with this invention.

The machine shown in Figure l is constructed to produce double-ended swab sticks, that is, sticks having swabs at each end thereof. However, it will be understood that the invention may be utilized in the formation of single ended swab sticks as desirable. Likewise, the machine may be operated in conjunction with a hopper for feeding sticks automatically, and with a stick barbing apparatus which incises the sticks to produce barb-like slivers extending from their periphery. However, these details form no part of the present invention and such apparatus therefore is not disclosed herein.

The machine shown in Figure 1 is built about a frame consisting essentially of side plates 1-! which are spaced apart from one another suitably interconnected and of sufficient thickness to provide or to sustain journals for various cross shafts through which the mechanism is operated.

The stick conveyor is indicated generally at 2. In the form shown it comprises discs 3-3 which are spaced apart from one another somewhat less than the overall length of the sticks which are to be accommodated in the machine. Likewise, the side plates l-l are spaced apart from one another somewhat greater than the overall length of the sticks. Discs 3-3 are fastened concentrically to a conveyor shaft 4 which is journalled in the side plates ll. The shaft 4 projects endwisely beyond each of the side plates and at one end it carries a pawl and ratchet drive assembly indicated generally at 5 and at the other side a detent assembly indicated generally at 6.

The pawl and ratchet assembly includes a collar 1 which is pinned to the shaft 4, as at 8, a ratchet disc Q which is also fastened to the shaft 4, a rocker arm I!) which is rotatably journalled on shaft 4 and a collar II which is fastened to the shaft 4 at the outer face of the rocker arm to hold the rocker arm in place. The rocker arm has a pawl l2 pivotally mounted thereto, the pawl being biased toward the ratchet disc 9 by means of a tension spring l3 having one end connected to the pawl and the opposite end supported from a pin [4.

Rocker arm 10 is operated through a connecting rod l5 extending from an eccentric follower I6 which rotatably surrounds an eccentric I! on a drive shaft 18. The drive shaft [8 is journalled in the side plates Il between which collars [9 are provided to hold the shaft against longitudinal displacement. Shaft l8 also carries sprocket 2D pinned thereto as at 2| and the sprocket is engaged by a chain belt 22 which is driven from a suitable source of power, for instance, a motor driven speed reducer outfit. Thus, rotation of the drive shaft I8 causes the eccentric to oscillate the connecting rod l5 and advance the conveyor discs 33 step by step.

The detent assembly 6 at the end of shaft 4 opposite the pawl and ratchet assembly is employed to prevent over-travel of the conveyor discs 33 which otherwise might occur through their rapid acceleration and deceleration, in view of their substantial mass and inertia. Any suitable detent mechanism may be employed if necessary; the one shown comprises a disc 23 having notches 24 cut in its outer periphery, the spacing of the notches corresponding to the stepwise movemnet of the shaft 4. Disc 23 is fastened to the haft 4 and a spring-pressed roller 25 is positioned for serial engagement with the notches. The reception of the roller in a notch of the disc restrains the entire assembly from over-travel.

Conveyor discs 33 have notches or grooves 26 cut in the periphery thereof, each pair of notches bein in alignment and forming a seat for the reception of an applicator stick. The notches are spaced about the periphery of the discs in accordance with the spacing of the teeth on ratchet 9.

Applicator sticks are placed in the seats 26 at a suitable point in the machine, for instance,

at a point A, as shown in Figure 2. This may be done by hand or by hopper feed. The sticks are held in the notches during their conveyance by means of a shoe 2? which may extend about halfway around the conveyor, for instance from the stick feed point A to a suitable point of discharge B. This shoe is supported by means of cross straps 28, the ends of which are fastened respectively to the side plates l-I.

Shoe 21 cooperates with a friction drive disc 30 which is placed in-between conveyor discs 3 and which is of such diameter that its periphery is engageable frictionally by the peripheries of the applicator sticks received in the notches 26. This disc is employed to rotate the sticks about their longitudinal axis, in cooperation with shoe 21. Thus, each applicator stick is held in a a-esacar notch by means of shoe 2'! and at the same time the periphery of each stick is frictionally err-- gaged by the surface of the drum 30, whereby the stick is caused to spin rapidly about-its axis. This construction also permits the sticks to be advanced stepwise by the conveyor while they are being rotated.

-Friction drive all is rotated by means of a drive roller 35 which is mounted upon a shaft 36 hav ing its endwise portions journalled in the side plates l-l. Shaft 36 projects beyond one of the side plates where a sprocket 31 is pinned thereto as at 3 8. A chain belt 3-9 extends from sprocket 31 to a sprocket 4i} pinned to a stub shaft 412 which has a gear e3 pinned thereto for meshing engagement with a gear 44 fastened to the drive shaft [8.

The cotton feeder mechanism shown in the drawings is indicated generally at 45 and comprises feed fingers 46, a cooperating shoe 4? and a suitable delivery tube 48 through which a cotton roving 4-9 is passed from a suitable coil receptacle to the feeder. In the preferred form the feed fingers 56 are paddle-like members extending radially from a whel 56. This wheel is fastened rigidly to a shaft which is journalled in a side plate I of the machine. Thus, as shown in Figure 1, there are two feeder assemblies t5, one arranged at each side plate I of the machine whereby swabs are formed simultaneously on both ends of an applicator stick.

Shafts 5! respectively have gears 52 pinned thereto, as at 53, the gears being in meshing engagement with gears 54 fastened respectively, by means of pins 55, to a feed shaft 55 extending across the side plates I of the machine. The drive to the feed shaft 56 initiates at a sprocket 57 which is fastened by means of pin 58 to the drive shaft l8. A chain belt 59 extends from this sprocket to a sprocket 60 which is fastened by pin 8|t0 a cross shaft 82 projecting endwisely beyond one of the side plates as at 63 to carry an eccentric 64. Eccentric 64 is engaged by a follower 65 having a connecting rod 65 extending therefrom to a rocker arm 61 on which a pawl 68 is mounted for engagement with a ratchet 69 fastened to the feed shaft 56. A collar ii? is mounted to the feed shaft 56 at the outer face of the rocker arm 81; likewise at the opposite side of the machine a collar H is pinned to the feed shaft 56 against the outer face of gear 54. The feed pawl and ratchet construction just described is similar to that employed in the conveyor pawl and ratchet structure and the details therefore are not disclosed. A similar detent mechanism also may be utilized for the feed mechanism, in-' cluding a notched plate 13 mounted upon the feed shaft 56 and having notches M therein engageable by a spring-urged roller detent l5.

The cotton roving guide 48 preferably is in the form of a chute or channel element it which is fastened by means of bolt Ti to the inner face of side plate I. There are two of these, of course, one for each feeder, and each terminates at a point, just beyond the outer extremity of the feeder fingers 46, while cooperating shoes 4'1 extend from the ends of the chutes at the discharge sides thereof, relative to the direction of r'otation of wheel 50, arcuately to points adjacent the periphery of the conveyor 3. Each shoe prefer ably is generated on a radius about the center of rotation of the feed wheel 56 though, if desirable, each shoe may be configurated to provide aconverging passageway with respect to the path of movement of the feed fingers. In-either event Sing and diverging surfaces.

stick which overhangs the conveyor.

it is to be'noticed that each shoe, at least at the discharge end thereof, is arranged closely adja-- cent the extremity of feed finger 46 whereby the lingers 46 issue lengths of cotton from the shoes" toward the sticks in the conveyor.

A swab former, though not necessary in the formation of the swabs upon the sticks, is desirable, and apparatus for this purpose is employed in the present machine through the cooperating forming elements 18 and 79. These elements re-' spectively present forming surfaces and BI which embrace the cottonas it is being wound about the stick. The elements 18 and T9 in the .form shown, are block-like pieces pivotally' mounted upon pins, 82 and 83, which respectively project from the inner faces of the side walls 1. The leading edges of the forming surfaces BI and 82 are chamfered to facilitate reception therebetween of swab sticks delivered by the conveyor, while the trailing faces are also chamfered to provide for quick release of the swabs once they have been formed. Forming takes place at the throat between these converg- Elements 18 and i5! are adjustable to control forming pressure, by means of screws 85 and 86 which are threaded through brackets 8'! and 88, and one of the elements or both may be yieldably mounted, as by means of suitable compression spring 89.

Introduction of sticks to the former further is facilitated by means of a guide plate 90 which is arranged in advance of the forming jaws to support the underneath surface of the applicator This arrangement is useful because the sticks are not always straight and true but sometimes warped so that their free ends tend to wobble considerably during rotation. The guide providing support from the free end of the stick reduces this wobble and facilitates the wrapping of the cotton on the stick.

During the latter stages of a cotton forming operation and particularly at the end of the operation when the cotton roving is to be torn, substantial. torque may be required properly to drive the stick without loss of its speed of rotation. The rotational effect provided by the friction disc 35 may be supplemented to avoid such loss in speed, by means of a friction disc 9! which is positioned to engage the central portion of the stick while its ends are disposed between the forming jaws 18 and i9. Drum Si] is fixed to a shaft 92 which is rotatably journalled in hangers 93-93, the hangers depending freely from the feed shaft 56 where they are held against axial movement by collars 94-94. A sprocket 95 is fastened to a portion of the shaft 92 which projects beyond one of the hangers and this sprocket is driven, through a chain belt 96, from a sprocket 9'5 which is fastened by a pin 98 to the cross shaft 62.

Friction drum 9! thus is pivotally mounted to swing with respect to said shaft 56 and the point of suspension is angularly offset as shown in Figure 2, whereby the drum, by its own weight, is biased into engagement with the periphery of the applicator stick. At the same time the drum is rotated in a direction of rotation complemen 'tary to that of the main friction drum 30, whereby the stick is twirled about its own axis with sufiicient torque to wind the cotton compactly about itself and also to pull the cotton apart from the withheld length of roving when the winding operation is completed. At the end of a winding operation friction drum 9| is lifted from the stick to permit it readily and rapidly to leave the feeding station. The lifting movement is accomplished by providing extension portions 99 on the hangers 93 which project beyond the drum periphery toward the cross shaft 62. The free ends of the members 99 are cross connected through a rod I which constitutes a follower engageable by an eccentric or cam liii mounted on the cross shaft 62. By this construction the cam lifts the periphery of the drum ll from the stick once each revolution of shaft 62 and, during that revolution, the drum 9! has been rotated about its own axis and the formation of a wad has been conducted and completed.

Operation In the operation of the machine sticks are fed to the conveyor as it advances step by step. As soon as these sticks are delivered to a point underneath the shoe 2'! they are set into rotation by frictional engagement therewith of the drum 30. The conveyor delivers a stick to a point within the former comprising the jaws l8 and E9. The elements are so timed that the conveyor is stopped at this point but the sticks are rotated not only by drum 38 but supplementally rotated by engagement with the sticks of the drive drum 9|. Likewise, the movement of the feeder mechanism is timed to present a free length of cotton to a stick as it moves into position in the former. This is illustrated in Figure 4. By the time the cotton has been picked up upon the periphery of the stick and the winding operation has been started, movement of the feeder stops and, as shown in Figure 3, the length of cotton is pinched by the blade 36 against shoe 4?. The winding operation continues with all parts except drum 9! and drum 3U idle, until the stick has wound upon itself all of the cotton which is available to it and, through its continued rotation, has torn the cotton from the withheld lengh. At this time cam H)! on shaft 62 has moved around to a position where it lifts drum 9! from the stick; coincidentally, the pawl and ratchet mechanism becomes effective for advancing the conveyor discs 33 one notch, thereby carrying the completed swab stick from the forming station and simultaneously delivering a new stick thereto.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. A machine for forming a cotton swab on the end of an applicator stick, which comprises means for rotating the applicator stick about its longitudinal axis, means for presenting an endwise portion of a length of cotton to said applicator stick during rotation thereof in position for the applicator stick to catch cotton fibres at the free end of the length of cotton and wind them progressively upon itself, and means for simultaneously withholding the length of cotton at a point removed from the said endwise portion against movement toward said stick whereby the cotton is caused to be wound about said stick through stick rotation and subsequently is torn from the cotton being withheld by continued rotation of the stick.

2. A machine for making swab sticks, comprising means for rotating a stick about its longitudinal axis,'means for presenting the endwise portion of a length of cotton roving to said stick in position for the stick to catch cotton fibres at the 8. free end of the roving and wind them upon itself from the roving, and means for pinching upon the lengthof cotton at a point removed from the endwise portion of said length to hold the re' mainder of the length against movement toward said stick whereby the stick, upon rotation, winds the cotton upon itself and subsequently pulls apart the wound cotton from the continuous length by continued rotation of the stick.

3. A method of forming a cotton wad upon a stick, which comprises rotating the stick about its longitudinal axis, presenting an endwise portion of a continuous length of cotton to the rotating stick and holding a rearward portion of the continuous length of cotton against movement toward the stick at a point removed from the endwise portion until continued rotation of the stick causes the cotton wound about the stick to tear itself from the withheld portion.

4. A method of forming a cotton swab upon the end of an applicator stick, which comprises rotating the applicator stick about its longitudinal axis, presenting an endwise portion of a length of cotton to the applicator stick during rotation thereof and thereby causing the fibers of cotton at the endwise portion to catch upon and be wound about said stick, and holding a rearward portion of the length of cotton, at a point removed from the endwise portion from movement toward the stick, until the cotton wound upon the stick during rotation tears itself from the cotton being withheld by continued rotation of the stick.

5. A machine for forming a cotton swab on the end of an applicator stick, comprising means for successively presenting applicator sticks to a winding station, means for causing each stick presented to the winding station to rotate about its longitudinal axis, means for presenting an endwise portion of a length of cotton to each rotating stick at the winding station in such position that cotton fibres at the free end of the lengh are caught upon the surface of the stick and wound upon it during stick rotation whereby cotton progressively is wound from said length about said stick, and means at a point removed from the endwise portion of the length of cotton, for holding the remainder of the length of cotton from movement toward the stick, whereby that length of cotton which is wound about the stick subsequently is pulled from the length of cotton being withheld.

6. A machine for winding a length of cotton about an applicator stick, which comprises a cotton former, means for delivering an applicator stick to said former, means for rotating said stick about its longitudinal axis, a cotton feeder positioned to present a free end of a length of cotton to said rotating stick at said former in such position that fibres at the free end of the length of cotton catch upon the surface of the stick and are wound about it during its rotation, and means associated with said cotton feeder to hold the cotton of the length at a point removed from the free end from movement toward the stick so as to cause the cotton length to be torn from said feeder by rotation of the applicator stick.

7. A machine for winding a length of cotton about an applicator stick, comprising a former including a pair of jaws yieldably spaced apart from one another, a conveyor for delivering applicator sticks successively to a position intermediate said jaws, means for rotating said applicator sticks about their longitudinal axis while they are within said jaws and a cotton feeder positioned to present the free end of a length of 9 cotton to each applicator stick'while it is between said jaws, in such position that fibres at the free end of the length of cotton catch upon the surface of the stick and are wound about it during its rotation and means for simultaneously holding the length of cotton at a point removed from the free end from movement toward the stick while cotton is being wound from the free end about said stick, until the wound cotton tears itself from the cotton being withheld by continued rotation of the stick.

8. A machine for winding a length of cotton about an applicator stick comprising means for rotating an applicator stick about its longitudinal axis, means for presenting the free end of a length of cotton to an endwise portion of the applicator stick while it is being rotated, such that cotton fibres at the free end of the length catch upon the surface of the applicator stick and become wound about it during its rotation, and means for coincidentally holding cotton of the length at a point removed from said applicator stick, against movement toward the stick under the tension 10 created by the winding, whereby continued rotation of the applicator stick eventually causes the cotton intermediate the stick and the portion of cotton being held, to be pulled apart and thereby sever the cotton wound upon the stick from the length of cotton.

HIRAM L. BARBER.

GEORGE L. SELLARS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 279,997 Waring June 26, 1883 547,751 Flower et al Oct. 8, 1895 1,721,815 Gerstenzang July 23, 1929 1,921,604 Bunnell et al, Aug. 8, 1933 2,228,599 Glickston Jan. 14, 1941 2,253,852 Glickston Aug. 26, 1941 2,430,648 Schonrock Nov. 11, 1947 

